Ancient City Slickers compete March 7 at Jacksonville Landing

Sunday

A mix of folk, bluegrass, Americana and pop blend together in what members of the Ancient City Slickers call "big fun music."

The local band has been performing at area festivals and venues for about 10 years and will compete March 7 in the JaxTalent 2012 contest.

"We started as a jam at John Richard's house (an artist who lived on Anastasia Island), said Cable Spence, the band's five-string banjo player, a local portrait artist, and the host of a Saturday morning Flagler College radio show.

"We had Tuesday jams and would use odd-ball instruments. John liked to have a lot of people around making music. He lived on the island with his wife, Claudia Dunaway, and then they moved to North Carolina. When he left, he said 'It's yours (the band).'"

The band drew more than 40,000 online votes recently in the JaxTalent2012 competition, a talent show organized by Eco Latino Media Group, in partnership with the Florida Times Union, to showcase the diversity and talent of North Florida.

"Out of the 57 contestants, the top 22 will perform March 7," said Bernarbe Murguia, the social media specialist for Eco Latino, a Hispanic monthly magazine and website, www.ecolatino.com.

"They (bands/musicians) performed in front of six judges, and the judges chose the top 28," Murguia said.

From there, videos were put online for public voting. The Ancient City Slickers won the most online votes, with more than 40,000.

According to Spence, he and band members called and emailed "everyone we know that had a computer so they could vote for us."

But the real test will come on March 7 when the band performs for the audience at the The Jacksonville Landing, 2 W. Independent Drive, in Jacksonville.

Each of the 22 bands or musicians will play a selection and the judges will choose the top three from the audience reaction. The winner will receive $5,000.

The Ancient City Slickers are asking St. Augustine fans to come up and support the band.

Original performances

The band plays old songs and new songs, and puts their own spin on each one using string instruments and a mix of other "'sound' producing devices."

Spence sometimes uses a cacophonium, an instrument the band created that includes a cowbell, symbols, an Indian taxi horn, plastic bells, a triangle, and something new that may be added every now and then.

"We added a washtub bass about eight years ago. … and then came slide whistles, kazoos, and more," Spence said.

The Ancient City Slickers are entertainment regulars at the Florida Folk Festival, the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, Concerts in the Plaza (each spring and summer in downtown St. Augustine), and the Ormond Beach Seafood Festival.

"These people (at retirement homes) don't get much entertainment … especially much live entertainment. They come in their wheelchairs or sitting very still … but when the music starts, their eyes start to perk up, they tap their feet. Some of the songs we play they haven't heard in about 40, 50 years. The expression on their faces is just amazing."

The competition

"Our participation in this contest is to broaden our scope, to let people know who we are," Spence said.

"If we pull this thing off, we could have some fun with it. We are getting a new audience. I'm hoping it will be a door-opener."

The band likes to include the audience by inviting people to come on stage and play a kazoo.

"Some don't know how to play and we have to stop the music and give a lesson, but once they get the hang of it, they have fun," Spence said.

According to Spence, he came across the JaxTalent2012 contest by accident.

"I was on the internet and hit it by accident, and it was all written in Spanish. … Then I saw an ad (about the contest) in the newspaper a week or two later," he said.

The band is looking for someone who has a bus to take fans up to the concert at the Jacksonville Landing. Volunteers are asked to call Spence at 287-3274.

Admission is free, and the concert will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Go to www.ecolatino.com.

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